Authorities in Argentina have detained three individuals for questioning and conducted a home search in relation to the death of Liam Payne, formerly of One Direction.
Payne, aged 31, died on October 16 after a tragic fall from the third floor of the CasaSur Palermo hotel in Buenos Aires.
According to PA, the public prosecutor’s office in Argentina reported that one individual faces charges of abandonment leading to death and facilitating drug use. Additionally, a hotel staff member and another person are charged with providing illegal substances.
The identities of those arrested have not been disclosed.
Prosecutors detailed that one suspect was ‘the individual who closely accompanied the artist during his time in Buenos Aires.’ The second person is a hotel employee accused of giving Payne drugs, and the third is purportedly a ‘drug provider.’
The autopsy indicated that Payne suffered multiple injuries, including ‘internal and external hemorrhage’ from the fall, while toxicology tests showed ‘traces of alcohol, cocaine, and a prescription antidepressant’ in his system at the time of death.
Prosecutors emphasized in a statement that ‘exhaustive and meticulous measures were taken to clarify the circumstances’ surrounding Payne’s demise.
The statement further read: “Based on the evidence gathered and after analyzing the various bodies of proceedings and numerous documentary annexes and the background of the case, prosecutor Andres Esteban Madrea formally charged three people, requesting their questioning and arrest in a 180-page ruling presented last Friday to Judge Bruniard.”
The statement also mentions that Argentine authorities have conducted a forensic examination of Payne’s phone and have scrutinized 800 hours of surveillance footage from the hotel and nearby locations.
Nine searches have been conducted on Buenos Aires properties linked to Payne’s death, and some of his electronic devices remain under investigation.
Meanwhile, public prosecutor Andrés Madrea told the BBC that Payne’s body was returned to his family on November 6, after being held in Argentina for additional toxicology and lab examinations.
Following Payne’s death, Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, Niall Horan, and Zayn Malik, his former bandmates, issued a joint statement on social media.
“We’re completely devastated by the news of Liam’s passing,” the four members wrote on One Direction’s Instagram. “In time, and when everyone is able to, there will be more to say. But for now, we will take some time to grieve and process the loss of our brother, who we loved dearly.
“The memories we shared with him will be treasured forever. For now, our thoughts are with his family, his friends, and the fans who loved him alongside us. We will miss him terribly. We love you Liam.”